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It might be hard to pronounce, but ankylosing spondylitis is well known by those it affects. Here are the facts about this unfamiliar form of arthritis.

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Many people think back pain is an ordinary symptom — in fact, more than 26 million Americans ages 20 to 64 experience back pain frequently, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But for some, back pain can be due to more than a pulled muscle or other injury. It can be caused by a chronic condition called ankylosing spondylitis, or AS.

Although the name may sound complicated, ankylosing spondylitis is essentially a type of arthritis that strikes the spine, but it can move to other joints. It affects about 1 percent of the U.S. adult population. That’s about the same percentage of people who are affected by rheumatoid arthritis, although AS is far less well-known.

In ankylosing spondylitis, inflammation causes chronic pain and stiffness, and the severity can vary from person to person. There's no cure for AS, but certain medications and healthy lifestyle tactics can help make living with ankylosing spondylitis easier.

9 Surprising Facts About Ankylosing Spondylitis

1. Ankylosing spondylitis tends to strike at a young age. Unlike other forms of arthritis, AS often appears between the ages of 17 and 45, with a peak age of onset at 20 to 30 years old. However, children and people over 45 can also be affected.

2. Back pain is a common symptom of ankylosing spondylitis. However, it's not the only sign of ankylosing spondylitis. Besides affecting the spine, AS can also cause problems in the joints of the hips, shoulders, ribs, heels, hands, and feet.

3. Joints aren’t the only body parts affected by ankylosing spondylitis. “Besides the joints, manifestations of ankylosing spondylitis may include the eyes — with uveitis, which presents as acute eye pain, blurred vision, and sensitivity to light,” says Elyse Rubenstein, MD, a rheumatologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif. It can also affect the cardiovascular system and is associated with aortic regurgitation, she says, in which the blood flows in the reverse direction it should in the heart. Also, the pulmonary system can be at risk for developing lung abnormalities.

4. Men are at greater risk for ankylosing spondylitis. The condition occurs two to three times more often in men than women. Other risk factors include having the HLA-B27 genetic marker (a gene found in more than 95 percent of people with ankylosing spondylitis), having a family history of AS, and experiencing frequent gastrointestinal infections.

5. Ankylosing spondylitis can be to blame for a “hunchback” appearance. “When ankylosing spondylitis affects the upper part of the neck, it can create significant kyphosis — the medical term for a hunched back — and cause the head to collapse forward, resulting in a chin-on-chest deformity,” says Neel Anand, MD, a clinical professor of surgery and the director of spine trauma at the Cedars-Sinai Spine Center in Los Angeles. “People with kyphosis are unable to look straight, as their neck is stiffened in a downward gaze position.”

6. Smoking worsens ankylosing spondylitis. Although smoking isn’t healthy for anyone, it’s especially important not to smoke if you have ankylosing spondylitis. According to a study published in the journal Expert Review of Clinical Immunology, smoking can lead to more severe AS, less function, and lower quality of life, in addition to it negatively affecting the lungs and heart.

7. Ankylosing spondylitis can cause the spine to fuse. “Ankylosing spondylitis, as the name suggests, fuses (ankyloses) the spine (spondyl),” Dr. Anand says. “The ligaments surrounding the spine become bony tissue, and the term 'bamboo spine' is commonly used, as the spine becomes one long and rigid bone.”

8. Ankylosing spondylitis may be linked to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). About 2 to 3 percent of people with IBD also have ankylosing spondylitis. IBD is a term for certain conditions that involve chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Just why AS and IBD are linked isn't clear, but a genetic marker may play a role. In people with the marker, ankylosing spondylitis sometimes develops after urinary or bowel infections. In others, having ankylosing spondylitis may foreshadow development of an IBD.

9. Rest might not be best for ankylosing spondylitis. Unlike regular back pain, discomfort caused by ankylosing spondylitis is typically worse after resting. Back pain from AS is generally better after exercising or taking a hot bath or shower.

If in doubt about the cause or type of your back pain, see your doctor for a thorough examination and the proper evaluation needed in order to diagnose ankylosing spondylitis.

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